"What Was He Cooking?" is a popular internet slang phrase and reaction meme used to mock someone who attempted a complex or confident strategy that resulted in a total failure. It is a cynical evolution of the "Let Him Cook" phrase, which encourages giving someone space to demonstrate their skills. The most common visual accompaniment features Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson looking visibly confused or disappointed during a WWE segment. The meme gained massive traction on social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok, where users apply it to questionable sports plays, bad gaming takes, or disastrous real-life culinary attempts.